Apple and Major League Soccer (MLS) embarked on a significant partnership starting in 2023 that will last for a decade—a bold move for both entities. Now, two years into this collaboration, recent reports offer insights into the partnership’s progress, including data on viewership numbers and more.
Insights on MLS Season Pass viewership
Historically, Apple and MLS have kept performance metrics for MLS Season Pass close to the vest. However, here’s a glimpse into the current situation.
Paul Tenorio reports for The Athletic (Apple News+ link):
According to sources…who are familiar with the data, more than one million viewers tune into MLS matches on average every Saturday. Additionally, around 94% of subscribers believe Season Pass has improved “significantly” compared to prior broadcasts, and playoff viewership saw a surge of approximately 50% from 2023 to 2024. This increase may have been influenced by Messi’s presence and Miami’s playoff campaign, alongside a robust promotional effort for Miami’s playoff debut; however, viewership grew even when excluding Miami’s three playoff games.
Unlike streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, benchmarking numbers from MLS Season Pass is challenging.
Is an average of one million Saturday viewers favorable? It’s difficult to ascertain, as the growth trajectory of these figures remains unclear, making direct comparisons to other services complex.
The 50% boost in playoff viewership does indicate a promising trend, as does the MLS’s remark that their subscriber figures have exceeded expectations.
Apple’s solid commitment to the MLS partnership
The detailed report is worth exploring, offering a wealth of information regarding the dynamics of the Apple-MLS collaboration. For instance:
One notable aspect from the initial two years, according to numerous sources involved in the production, is Apple’s strong engagement with the project. The company has assembled a sizable team dedicated to Season Pass and maintains regular interactions with MLS leadership. Apple executive Eddy Cue recently participated in a league sports and competition committee meeting to discuss with owners how Apple is contributing to the league’s advancement and to understand MLS’s growth strategies for the future.
When Apple and MLS entered into their ten-year agreement, both stood to gain significantly, while also facing considerable risks.
- Apple is pouring significant investments not only into streaming MLS games but also by serving as an official league sponsor.
- MLS is leaning heavily into streaming, which poses risks as many sports fans still prefer traditional viewing methods.
Overall, it appears the collaboration has been fruitful for both organizations thus far.
Clearly, Apple’s aspirations in the sports domain extend beyond MLS, but its initiatives in this realm may lay the groundwork for successful negotiations with additional leagues transitioning to streaming platforms.
What insights do you have from the report? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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